REMA Hospital & Saint-Michel Paramedical School

Construction and operation of a hospital in Ruyigi

2006 till 2015

Ruyigi, Burundi

Context

REMA Hospital & St. Michael’s Paramedical School are located in the heart of a poverty-stricken region that requires special assistance to address the health problems caused by poverty.
The rationale of these two structures is rooted in the overall objective of Maison Shalom: “To do everything possible to ensure that there are no more orphans caused by war or disease”. Thus, the main missions of the Hospital and the School are :
– To provide quality health care, accessible to the whole community, especially to the poor;
– to contribute to the continuous improvement of the health and well-being of the community
– To provide a framework for human development and continue education for each staff member and all health care professionals.

Beneficiaries

The REMA hospital was created primarily for the benefit of mothers and children. It has gradually expanded to include families and local communities as a whole.

Results

With a capacity of 110 beds, the REMA hospital served the Province of Ruyigi and the surrounding area. It was an accredited facility that implemented the government’s policy of free care for children under five years of age, as well as for pregnant women and women in childbirth. It included a maternal and child protection center, the St. Michel paramedical school and the hospital itself; these different activities constituted the “socio-medical” focus of Maison Shalom.
The hospital employed 126 people, including 6 doctors and about 50 nurses. It was the only one in the eastern region of Burundi to have a neonatology service; it had a well-equipped and functional operating room which made it a reference center.
In 2014, the Ministry of Health ranked EPM St Michel as the first Burundian paramedical school in terms of infrastructure, equipment and teaching quality.
Unfortunately, since 2015 and the serious civil crisis that has shaken Burundi since then, Maison Shalom has been forced to suspend its activities, all its assets have been requisitioned by the ruling power … and everything has been reduced to nothing.

Testimonials

Dr Thierry MAKO - Director of REMA Hospital

The presence of the REMA Hospital in a region which, in the past, had no recourse to health care has significantly improved the quality of life of the population of the Eastern region thanks to the support of the Jean-François Peterbroeck Foundation. Thanks to all the material and technical contributions, and to all the diversified training from which the doctors and nurses have benefited, the REMA Hospital has reached a regional reference level in less than 4 years, as shown by the transfers from other hospitals in the region.

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G. - Hospital patient and mother of triplets

After I learned that I was pregnant with triplets, I almost lost my mind . At first I thought I was going to die immediately because I didn't expect to be able to give birth to three children. By God's providence and the competent staff at REMA hospital, I was lucky to have all three children in good health and to feed them admidst my low family income. This is an immense opportunity for me to express great satisfaction towards the REMA Hospital. I believe that my children and I are the only ones who have gained so much from Maison Shalom since its existence. My children are now healthy and beautiful. My despair has now become my hope.

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Our actions

Whether on a national or international level, we want to offer young people the best possible opportunities for the future. We support projects through concrete action on the ground thanks to our partner organisations

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2010 till 2019

Belgium